Webinar
Investing in the Next Financial System: The marketplaces, identity layers, and digital assets VCs are quietly funding now
Join Jack Statza, Senior Principal at Alumni Ventures, and Investor Bryan Liu, for a candid look at where venture capital is actually deploying inside the next generation of financial infrastructure — the marketplaces, identity layers, and digital asset rails being built today that most investors haven’t yet put on their radar.
In this session, Jack Statza, Senior Principal at Alumni Ventures, and Bryan Liu will walk through how the Alumni Ventures Blockchain & Fintech Syndicate team is thinking about the buildout of the next financial system — the connective tissue layering between traditional finance, digital assets, and the new marketplaces emerging on top of both. Jack and Bryan will share the categories the team is watching most closely, the company profiles drawing serious venture interest, and the structural shifts making this moment a meaningful entry point for accredited investors.
The conversation will move beyond the headlines on tokens and prices to focus on the infrastructure that actually compounds long-term value — including digital identity layers, stablecoin rails, programmable marketplaces, and the fintech-adjacent companies bridging traditional and on-chain finance. Jack and Bryan will discuss how Alumni Ventures evaluates founders and underwriting risk in these emerging categories, where they see asymmetric upside forming, and how this thesis fits into a diversified venture portfolio.
Whether you’re an existing AV investor sharpening your view on digital finance, or an accredited investor looking for a clearer way to access the next generation of fintech infrastructure, this session will give you a current, unfiltered look at where capital is being committed today. Register to hear directly from the team sourcing and underwriting these deals every week.
Want to access our Blockchain & Fintech Syndicate deals to see, evaluate, and optionally invest? No cost, no commitment.
Why Attend?
- HomeDiscover where venture capital is actually deploying in the buildout of the next financial system — beyond the token headlines
- HomeUnderstand how Alumni Ventures evaluates marketplaces, identity infrastructure, and digital asset rails as venture investment categories
- HomeLearn how accredited investors can access institutional-grade fintech and digital asset deal flow through the Blockchain & Fintech Syndicate — at no cost and with no commitment to explore
Rated a Top 20 VC Firm by both TIME and CB Insights.
Alumni Ventures is America’s largest venture capital firm for individual investors.
About your presenters
Overview:
Jack Statza is a multi-stage deep-tech investor who has backed more than 80 startups—nine of which have already exited—across AI, blockchain, fintech, and other frontier technologies. At Alumni Ventures he writes first checks as early as Seed and supports teams through IPO, accelerating their path from prototype to scale.
Before Alumni Ventures, Jack led AI, blockchain, and fintech investments at Allstate Strategic Ventures; earlier, he advised clients on M&A at Lazard and Livingstone and began his career at Northern Trust, pricing opaque venture portfolios.
Jack holds an MBA from Chicago Booth, a BBA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and is a CFA charterholder.
Funds Currently Active On:
Blockchain & Fintech Fund
Investment Lens:
Jack focuses on multi-stage deep-tech investments across:
- Blockchain
- FinTech
- Artificial Intelligence
- Frontier Technologies
Select Blockchain & Fintech investments::
- Babylon Chain (Seed) (Token: $BABY) — lets Bitcoin holders “stake” their BTC to help secure proof-of-stake blockchains and earn rewards.
- Bluesky Social (Series A) — an open, decentralized social network where users own their data and feeds.
- Space and Time (Series A) (Token: $SXT) — a decentralized database enabling apps to query verifiable blockchain and real-world data together.
- Sahara AI (Seed) — a marketplace where developers can train, share, and sell AI models and data with full traceability.
- Napster (Series A) (Acquired by Infinite Reality) — iconic digital-music brand being rebuilt for virtual fan experiences.
Bryan is a Principal at Alumni Ventures with over 10 years experience in venture investing, M&A, and corporate strategy to identify the next generation of industry-defining companies. Bryan excels at identifying high-potential startups precisely before they scale. His current investment thesis is focused on the frontier of technological disruption, specifically the “Future of Media” driven by AI video; the rise of full-stack AI capable of building fully autonomous one-person-multi-billion-dollar companies; and breakthrough decentralized technologies and blockchain innovations that are redefining the infrastructure of the modern economy.
Prior to joining Alumni Ventures, Bryan led M&A and Venture deals at PayPal, where he managed and led seven major acquisitions totaling over $7 billion and a wide range of venture investments. Previously at Deloitte, Bryan advised global giants including Google, Disney, and Sony Pictures. He supported Disney through the acquisition of 21st Century Fox and the high-profile launch of Disney+, providing him with a unique vantage point on large-scale digital transformation.
Bryan led Alumni Ventures’ investment in Higgsfield, the “Canva for AI video” empowering millions of content creators and filmmakers globally. Higgsfield achieved a historic milestone, reaching $200M ARR in just nine months, the fastest growth trajectory in history outpacing OpenAI, Cursor, and Lovable. Bryan holds a BS from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Outside of the office, he is an active marathon runner and a former heavy metal vocalist.